''Piper'' is a 2016

computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

produced by

Pixar Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...

. Written and directed by

Alan Barillaro Nicolas Alan Barillaro is a Canadian director, animator and writer at Pixar best known for his work on the animated short film ''Piper'', that earned him widespread acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film which he shared with th ...

, it was theatrically released alongside Pixar's '' Finding Dory'' on June 17, 2016. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 89th Academy Awards, becoming the first Pixar animated short to win the award since '' For the Birds'' in 2001. The short film involves a hungry baby sandpiper learning to overcome her fear of water. The inspiration came from less than a mile away from Pixar Studios in Emeryville, California, where Barillaro, a veteran Pixar animator, would run alongside the shore and notice birds by the thousands fleeing from the water but returning between waves to eat.

Plot

A flock of sandpipers is hunting for food at a seashore by searching for

bivalves Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...

exposed by receding waves and running away when the wave returns. A baby (named Piper) is taken to shoreline by her mother so she can learn how to find her own food. However, she fails to pull away in time and is soaked wet by the incoming surf. The incident leaves Piper terrified of the water and she refuses to leave the nest. Soon, she is compelled to return to the shoreline by her hunger and notices a hermit crab digging in the sand. While she is watching the crab, a large wave comes in and submerges her. However, this time the crab tells Piper to open her eyes, allowing her to see large bivalves exposed by the wave. Excited, Piper overcomes her fear of water and learns how to catch the large bivalves when they are exposed underwater, catching enough to feed her entire flock.

Production

Alan Barillaro used new, cutting edge technology to create ''Piper'' over three years. In order to give the sandpipers and other birds visible in the background a realistic look, Barillaro and the short animation team visited beaches in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as the Monterey Bay Aquarium to study their appearance and behavior. The sandpipers' feathers in particular were rendered in minute detail.

Release

''Piper'' was theatrically released on June 17, 2016, before ''Finding Dory''. It was also included on the Blu-ray and DVD releases of the latter.

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Piper has approval rating based on reviews. Eric Kohn of '' IndieWire'' gave the short film a grade of "A-", calling it a "gripping survival story in cute, charming clothing". He praised the animation for being "incredibly lifelike" and said that Pixar had taken the medium of the short film into "uncharted new territory" with its realistic animation. Kohn also felt that while the short's plot was simple, its narrative style was similar to that of Studio Ghibli films. Writing for '' Insider'', Kirsten Acuna also praised the animation, calling the depiction of sand and water "incredibly real". Peter Debruge of '' Variety'' wrote that ''Piper'' was "simple as a haiku and yet stunning" and called it the "uncontestable best" of that year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Stephanie Merry of '' The Washington Post'' called the short "one of Pixar’s strongest", while Marcy Cook of '' The Mary Sue'' opined that it was better than '' Finding Dory'' (alongside which it was released) and was worth the price of admission on its own. In 2022, Comic Book Resources ranked the short second on its list of the best short films made by Disney or Pixar.

Accolades

The short was also part of

The Animation Showcase The Animation Showcase is a travelling film screening collection, showcasing animated short films. The showcase started in 2016, with the support of the private members club Soho House, with the intention of spotting upcoming creative talents in ...

2016.

References

External links

* at Pixar * {{Navboxes , title= Awards for ''Piper'' , list= {{Academy Award Best Animated Short Film {{Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject 2016 short films Best Animated Short Subject Annie Award winners 2016 3D films 2016 computer-animated films American animated short films 2010s Disney animated short films Pixar short films Best Animated Short Academy Award winners Animated films about animals Animated films about birds Animated films without speech 3D animated short films